Roma ready to sign Lukaku → Chelsea want huge wage bill + wage subsidy
AS Roma are preparing to make a move for Romelu Lukaku.
European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on his social media account on Friday (June 25), “The Roma board is preparing to fly to London to hold talks with Chelsea over the signing of Romelu Lukaku. President Todd Boeli plans to be directly involved in the negotiations. Chelsea are positive about a loan sale, but want a hefty fee and wage supplement.”
Chelsea have been active in the transfer market this summer. After finishing 12th in the league last season, the Blues were eager to rebound in the new campaign. At the start of the season, the focus was on selling rather than buying. Having spent $800 billion in two transfer windows, the club felt it was a priority to clear out its bloated squad.
A number of players left the team. Veterans such as N’Golo Kante and Cesar Aspilicueta left in free agency, while the club also sold Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, and Mateo Kovacic, bringing in more than KRW300 billion.
With the sale finalized, Chelsea turned its attention to recruitment. Christopher N’Kunku, who signed last winter, joined the squad and Nicola Jackson, who showed promise with 12 goals for Villarreal, joined the squad, while Leslie Ugochukwu and Angelou Gabriel were brought in to build for the future. We also re-signed Levi Colwill, who had reached his peak at Brighton.
After that, they continued to strengthen. We added Axel Disassi to bolster our defense and identified Robert Sanchez as our new No. 1. They also bolstered their midfield with Leslie Ugochukwu, spent an astronomical amount of money to bring in Moises Caicedo, and spent close to 100 billion won to sign Southampton ‘supernova’ Romeo Rabia.
However, the team is far from complete. They still need to find a goalie, which is their biggest problem. Last season, Chelsea were the worst scorers in the league with just 38 goals in 38 games. That’s just two more goals than their top scorer, Elling Holland. It was even less than relegated Leeds United and Leicester City.
At the moment, Jackson is Chelsea’s goalkeeper. This is because he is the only player in the squad who can play more like a center forward.
Lukaku was also originally considered. Mauricio Pochettino was hesitant to sell Lukaku when Inter Milan made a move for him early in the transfer window. He didn’t think he had the resources to do so.
But what matters is Lukaku’s intentions. He has no intention of playing for Chelsea. He asked for a new contract as soon as his Inter Milan loan ended, and when it was revealed that he had been in contact with Juventus, he solidified his stance that he would not play for Chelsea after being dumped by Inter Milan.
Once he was done with Inter, Lukaku officially pushed for a move to Juventus. The Bianconeri were keen to use Blagojevich’s desire to leave the club to bring in Lukaku. According to Italian outlet Di Marzio, “Juventus have offered Chelsea a swap deal for Blagojevich and Lukaku”.
It could be a good deal for Chelsea. They would be able to sell a player who had already left the club and get someone younger and with more potential than Lukaku. But Chelsea were hesitant. They questioned Blahovic’s fitness. “Blahovic’s ‘glass body’ temperament has been raised as an issue,” says Belgian source Sasha Tavolieri. There is a growing fear that even if he leaves Juventus, he will not pass the medical due to his physical condition.” Indeed, Vlahovic missed the 2022-23 season with a number of injuries, including an adductor strain.
Pochettino has had some time to think about it. ‘Pys’, which covers Chelsea news, quotes Romano: “Chelsea want to resolve the issue regarding Lukaku. They will hold talks next week to try and reach an agreement on the Blagojevich swap deal. Pochettino is thinking about it.”
However, Lukaku’s chances of joining Juventus are looking increasingly slim. “Chelsea are not holding any talks over a swap deal for Lukaku and Blahovic,” said Sky Sports in the UK. 안전놀이터
Juventus fans were also not in favor of Lukaku’s arrival. According to Juventus news outlet Forza Juventus, Juventus fans stormed the stadium after a training match and sang a song with the lyrics “We don’t want Lukaku!” to protest the move.
His chances of joining Juventus are now slim. For now, Lukaku’s status is that of a duck egg in the Nakdong River. Of course, he could still leave before the transfer window closes. The latest news is that Roma are interested in him. According to Italian publication Di Marzio, the Giallorossi are targeting Lukaku as they are close to finalizing the signing of Sardar Azmoun.
The media outlet claims that the deal could happen, provided one condition is met. That is for Chelsea to grant a ‘loan’. Lukaku’s price tag would be prohibitive for any club to sign him outright. However, a loan could be a possibility. “If Chelsea allow a loan, Roma could make a move, while Barcelona and PSG are also thought to be considering a move,” Di Marzio said.
Things got even more positive. Chelsea agreed to a ‘loan’ and Roma officially began preparing to sign Lukaku. Of course, as Romano noted, there’s still a lot to work out, such as the weekly wage and rental fee. However, if Chelsea and Roma’s needs are aligned, it’s entirely possible that a deal could happen before the end of the transfer window.